Okay, let me start by saying my budget for this laptop is UNDER $500, that doesn't mean $800, or $1000, but UNDER $1000.


Nothing for gaming, mostly for quick research while I am at home, heavy internet use, and moderate media playing/sharing.

REQUIREMENTS.

1. MUST have built in wireless internet. I have a N router, and would prefer something that has N built in.
2. MUST NOT have one of those stupid pointer devices. I hate them.
3. Would prefer something with a normalish keyboard, number pad is a PLUS.
4. REFURBISHED IS FINE! Extended warranties with Square Trade are cheap as hell for full coverage. $120 for a 2 year extended warranty.
5. Would prefer HDMI also for simple plugging into my TV's.
6. Not a fan of vista...
7. Would prefer something with 3 or 4 gigs of ram.


That's about it. A decent sized hard drive would be nice too of course.

Currently I am looking at the following...

3 GIGS OF RAM

Gateway MC7321U Refurbished Notebook Computer – Intel Pentium T3200 2GHz, 3GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 16” WXGA, Vista Home Premium $469.97
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=3444

HP G60-249WM Refurbished Notebook Computer - AMD Athlon X2 QL-62 2GHz, 3GB DDR2, 250GB HDD, DVDRW, 16” TFT, Vista Home Premium
$499
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=1902
^^^
Not a N wireless though.

Gateway T-1424u Laptop Computer - AMD Athlon 64 TK-57 1.9GHz, 3GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 14.1" WXGA, Vista Home Premium, Red, HDMI
$479
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=1900
^^^
Not N wireless, no number pad, a bit smaller in size, but a 1 year warranty with it.

Gateway T-6330u Refurbished Notebook PC - Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3200 2.0GHz, 3GB DDR2, 250GB HDD, DVDRW, 14.1" WXGA, Windows Vista Home Premium, Silver
$449
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=3444
^^^
No number pad.

4 GIGS OF RAM

Gateway MD7321U Refurbished Notebook PC – Intel Pentium T3400 2GHz, 4GB DDR2, 250GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.6” WXGA, Vista Home Premium 64-bit
$499.97
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=3444
^^^
No numberpad. Favorite so far.

Gateway M-7351u Laptop Computer - Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200 2.0GHz, 4GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.4" WXGA, Vista Home Premium 64-bit
$499.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=2289
^^^
No numberpad.

Gateway M-1631U Laptop Computer - AMD Turion X2 TL-60 2.0GHz, 4GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, DL DVDRW, 15.4" WXGA, Vista Home Premium 64-bit, Blue
$499.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=1900
^^^
No numberpad or wireless N. Pretty.

Gateway M-7301U Refurbished Notebook PC - Intel Pentium 2GHz, 4GB, 320GB, DVDRW, 15.4", Vista Home Premium 64-bit, Red
$499.97
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=3444
^^^
No numberpad. Second favorite.


A bonus is Windows 7 is free with most of these as an upgrade.


So, those are ones I'm looking at, and I will look at others as suggested, if they meet most of my requirements and are in the price range.

What do you folks think?

 

I'm personally a fan of HP laptops. I have one for work and it's bad ass, but it also seems to be a pricey high end model.

I have no experience with Gateway, but I wouldn't knock them off the list.

Look into the differences between the processors (T3200 and T4200 etc.) as they may make a huge difference in performance. I don't know personally, but I know there are graphs out there somewhere.

I know you want to buy immediately, but I would prefer waiting if it meant it was easier to get Win 7. I've heard good things about it, and I'm in no way a fan of Vista. But, if you can get it for free, go for it.

Since most of the internals will be similar on these computers, look at the keyboard setup. I'm really picky on the CTRL, SHIFT, and Backspace keys. I don't want a half-sized SHIFT or BACKSPACE key, and the backspace should be in the normal place. I would find the keyboard you like from all those and narrow it down.

Sorry - suddenly got slammed at work. I don't have time to look at the different models.

I'm personally a fan of HP laptops. I have one for work and it's bad ass, but it also seems to be a pricey high end model.

I have no experience with Gateway, but I wouldn't knock them off the list.

Look into the differences between the processors (T3200 and T4200 etc.) as they may make a huge difference in performance. I don't know personally, but I know there are graphs out there somewhere.

I know you want to buy immediately, but I would prefer waiting if it meant it was easier to get Win 7. I've heard good things about it, and I'm in no way a fan of Vista. But, if you can get it for free, go for it.

Since most of the internals will be similar on these computers, look at the keyboard setup. I'm really picky on the CTRL, SHIFT, and Backspace keys. I don't want a half-sized SHIFT or BACKSPACE key, and the backspace should be in the normal place. I would find the keyboard you like from all those and narrow it down.

Sorry - suddenly got slammed at work. I don't have time to look at the different models.

 

I know next to nothing about processors anymore, and frankly don't want to learn about them. LOL I was hoping someone else could share their expert advice on this portion.

There's that many Gateways because that was mostly what they had. Check out the HP I listed. I'll for SURE look at the keyboards closely, GOOD POINT!

 

I have a Compaq Presario CQ60 and I think I paid $360 + tax at best buy a couple months ago. here is the LINK, now it says it's $399 and its still offers a lot more than other laptops with a higher price tag. It may no be the perfect laptop BUT for the price is GREAT.


This are the specs from the one in the link. BUT mine have an AMD Athlon X2 and 250GB HD.


Warranty Terms - Labor
1 year limited

Product Height
1.7"

Product Width
14.9"

Product Weight
6.6 lbs.

Product Depth
9.9"

Processor Brand
Intel®

Processor
Intel® Celeron®

Processor Speed
2.2GHz

Display Type
High-definition widescreen with BrightView technology (1366 x 768)

Screen Size
15.6"

System Bus
800MHz

System Memory (RAM)
3GB

System Memory (RAM) Expandable To
4GB

Type of Memory (RAM)
DDR2

Hard Drive Type
SATA (5400 rpm)

Hard Drive Size
160GB

Optical Drive
Double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW

Optical Drive Speeds
Drive speeds not specified

Direct-Disc Labeling
Yes

Digital Media Reader or Slots
No

Graphics
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M

Video Memory
1309MB total available graphics memory

Personal Video Recorder (PVR)
No

TV Tuner
No

MPEG
Yes

Built-in Webcam
No

Modem
56 Kbps*
*Capable of receiving 56 Kbps downloads. However, current regulations limit download speed to 53 Kbps.

Networking
Built-in 10/100Base-T Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Wireless Networking
Wireless-B+G

Bluetooth-Enabled
No

S-Video Outputs
None

Speakers
Built-in Altec Lansing

PCMCIA Slots
None

USB 2.0 Ports
3

IEEE 1394 FireWire Ports
None

Parallel Ports
None

Serial Ports
None

Game Ports
None

Laptop Weight
Standard (more than 5.5 lbs.)

Battery Type
6-cell lithium-ion

Battery Life
Up to 2 hours and 45 minutes

Battery Life Range
Up to 3.5 hours

Pointing Device
Touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical scroll up/down pad

Operating System Platform
Windows

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1

Included Software
Microsoft Works, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Cyberlink DVD Suite and more

ENERGY STAR Qualified
No

HDMI Output
No

Blu-ray Player
No

 

Picked one out finally. It was $80 more than i wanted to spend, but was brand new, a bit faster, and had the full keyboard with number pad. Also MUCH better looking. I also get $20 back for using paypal so it was only $60 more than I wanted to spend.

Overall, it should be more than I need!

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/se...91&csid=_23

That's the one I got. The 3 year extended warranty takes effect after the MFR one, and covers everything from drops to spills, and cost me $110.

 

Wow!! Thats really nice man! Congrats!

 

Thanks bro, it is actually a very nice piece of equipment.

 

Looking at it more and more, I'm beginning to think this is a wonderful piece for myself, instead of sharing the toshiba with my whole family. and its definitely something I can afford

 

Nice. I'm actually going to be getting rid of my Inspiron 1525 in favor of an Asus EeePC 1000. I love the SSD storage. Gonna run about $400.

 

^^ why the 1000 instead of the 1005ha, just ssd? I just got the 1005ha-p with 10.5 hours of battery life. It really like it.

Sorry I missed this before redz. Good luck with the gateway! I haven't had a lot of experience in recent years with them. All I know is they are owned by acer now... I don't think thats a good thing.

For anyone else looking for a new laptop I usually suggest asus, lenovo/ibm, and dell. In that order. Lenovo's g530 is nice and starts at about $450.